Post by Evon on Dec 27, 2013 21:29:01 GMT -5
December 28 is the 362nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.
There are three days remaining until the end of the year.
Days until coming elections:
www.daysuntil.com/Election-Day/index.html
U.S. Debt Clock: www.usdebtclock.org/
Coin of Emperor Majorian
457 Majorian is crowned emperor of the Western Roman Empire and recognized by Pope Leo I.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majorian
484 Alaric II succeeds his father Euric and becomes king of the Visigoths. He establishes his capital at Aire-sur-l'Adour (Southern Gaul).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaric_II
893 An earthquake destroys the city of Dvin, Armenia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/893_Dvin_earthquake
St Peter's Abbey at the time of Edward's funeral, depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry
1065 Westminster Abbey is consecrated. Westminster Abbey is the religious center for Britain's royalty. From William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II, all but one of Britain's kings and queens was crowned there. Westminster savors of history. It was founded by the last of the Saxon kings.
Even in Legend, the abbey has been important. Sir Thomas Mallory placed Guenivere and Arthur at the abbey in one of his tales of the Round Table. Old tales say King Ebert of the East Saxons built a church there in the seventh century and that Mellitus the first bishop of London oversaw it, but the evidence for this is weak.
Our historical knowledge firms up in the time of the tenth-century St. Dunstan, who founded (or took over) a monastery on the isle. A century later, Edward the Confessor, last of the Saxon kings to hold the English throne, constructed a great church on the spot. The story is a curious one.
Son of King Ethelred the Unready, Edward spent his youth in exile in Normandy, owing to struggles between the Danes and Saxons for the English throne. Edward is said to have vowed to make a pilgrimage to Rome if restored to his native land and its throne. When the restoration came about in 1041, through the help of Godwin, Earl of Kent, he realized the impracticality of his vow and asked the pope to absolve him of it. Leo IX released him on condition he build an abbey in honor of St. Peter. Edward selected the isle of Thanet as the spot and built himself a palace nearby so that he could watch the work in progress.
The choir and transepts of Edward's famous chapel were dedicated on this day, December 28, 1065. Edward could not attend the ceremony. Desperately ill, he died nine days later. A century after the dedication of Westminster Abbey, Edward was canonized (for political reasons) and his remains translated to the church.
Edward left the English succession in doubt. Harold, son of Godwin, claimed that Edward made the nation over to him on his deathbed. But William, Duke of Normandy, said Edward had left the kingdom to him in his will. William won the contest by conquest.
On Christmas Day, 1066, William was crowned in the chapel that Edward built. Shouts of acclamation rang out, and soldiers, posted outside, thought their Duke was in danger. As a diversion, they set fire to neighboring buildings. The ceremony was hurriedly completed and the audience rushed outside.
Present day Westminster abbey is not the same building that Edward erected. Henry III tore that down and rebuilt it. Edward's remains were placed in this new building. The famous of England have been interred there ever since.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey#1042:_Edward_the_Confessor_starts_rebuilding_St._Peter.27s_Abbey
www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/901-1200/englands-famous-abbey-dedicated-11629785.html
1612 Galileo Galilei becomes the first astronomer to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly catalogued it as a fixed star.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei
1735 “Hark the Glad Sound” was written by Philip Doddridge (1702-1751) to accompany his Christmas sermon delivered on this date.
www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/g/l/hgladsou.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Doddridge
George Whitefield's grave in the crypt of Old South Presbyterian Church, Newburyport, Massachusetts between Jonathan Parsons and Joseph Prince.
1741 English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'Redeem your precious time: pick up the fragments of it, that not one moment of it may be lost. Be much in secret prayer. Converse less with man, and more with God.'
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Whitefield
1795 Construction of Yonge Street, formerly recognized as the longest street in the world, begins in York, Upper Canada (present-day Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonge_Street
1832 John C. Calhoun becomes the first Vice President of the United States to resign.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Calhoun#U.S._Senator
1832 In Missouri, St. Louis Academy (founded in 1818) was chartered as St. Louis University. It was the first Catholic university established in the U.S. west of the Allegheny Mountains.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_University
1835 Osceola leads his Seminole warriors in Florida into the Second Seminole War against the United States Army.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osceola
1836 Spain recognizes the independence of Mexico.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico#Birth_of_the_country
1838 Greensborough Female College was chartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, under the Methodists. In 1913 the name of the school was changed to Greensboro College for Women and was changed again in 1920 to Greensboro College.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_College
1846 Iowa is admitted as the 29th U.S. state.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa#U.S._settlement_and_statehood.2C_1832.E2.80.931860
1864 The Addison, Illinois, teachers seminary of the Missouri Synod was dedicated. The college later moved to River Forest, Illinois.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concordia_University_Chicago#History
Midway Atoll is located at 28°12′N 177°21′WCoordinates: 28°12′N 177°21′W
1867 United States claims Midway Atoll, the first territory annexed outside Continental limits.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Atoll
1879 Tay Bridge disaster: The central part of the Tay Rail Bridge in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom collapses as a train passes over it, killing 75.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_Bridge_disaster
Auguste and Louis Lumière
1895 The Lumière brothers perform for their first paying audience at the Grand Cafe in Boulevard des Capucines, marking the debut of the cinema.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_and_Louis_Lumi%C3%A8re
1895 Wilhelm Röntgen publishes a paper detailing his discovery of a new type of radiation, which later will be known as x-rays.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_R%C3%B6ntgen
1902 The Syracuse Athletic Club defeated the New York Philadelphians, 5-0, in the first indoor professional football game, which was held at Madison Square Garden.
An image of the 1908 Messina earthquake aftermath.
1908 A magnitude 7.2 earthquake rocks Messina, Sicily, Italy killing over 75,000.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messina,_Sicily#History
A cable car ascending Hyde St, with Alcatraz on the bay behind
1912 The first municipally owned streetcars take to the streets in San Francisco, California.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco#Public_transportation
1918 Constance Markievicz while detained in Holloway prison, became the first woman to be elected MP to the British House of Commons.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_Markievicz
Large public New Year trees are common in Moscow, Russia
1935 Pravda publishes a letter by Pavel Postyshev, who revives New Year tree tradition in the Soviet Union.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year_tree#History_of_the_Russian_New_Year_tree
Heydrich's Mercedes 320 Convertible B after the attack, showing the tank grenade damage
1941 World War II: Operation Anthropoid, the plot to assassinate high-ranking Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich, commences.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Anthropoid
Canadian Armour Passing Through Ortona, by Charles Comfort. Canadian War Museum (CN 12245).
1943 World War II: After eight days of brutal house-to-house fighting, the Battle of Ortona concludes with the victory of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division over the German 1st Parachute Division and the capture of the Italian town of Ortona.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ortona
1944 The Society for the Promotion of Mohammedan Missions was organized.
cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=s&word=SOCIETYFORTHEPROMOTIONOFMOHAMMEDANMISSIONS.THE
1944 Maurice Richard becomes the first player to score 8 points in one game of NHL ice hockey.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Richard
One version of the Bermuda Triangle area
1948 The DC-3 airliner NC16002 disappears 50 miles south of Miami, Florida.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_Triangle#Douglas_DC-3
1958 "Greatest Game Ever Played" – Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants in the first ever National Football League sudden death overtime game at New York's Yankee Stadium.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_NFL_Championship_Game
1972 Kim Il-sung, already Prime Minister of North Korea and First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, becomes the first President of North Korea.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Il-sung
1973 The Endangered Species Act is passed in the United States.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species
A United Airlines Douglas DC-8 similar to the once involved in the crash.
1978 With the crew investigating a problem with the landing gear, United Airlines Flight 173 runs out of fuel and crashes in Portland, Oregon, killing 10. As a result, United Airlines instituted the industry's first crew resource management program.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_173
1991 Ted Turner is named Time Magazine Man of the Year
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Turner
1993 Dow-Jones hits record 3793.49
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow_Jones_Industrial_Average
2000 U.S. retail giant Montgomery Ward announces it is going out of business after 128 years.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Ward
2008 War in Somalia: The militaries of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government and Ethiopian troops capture Mogadishu unopposed.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Somalia_(2006%E2%80%9309)
2009 43 people die in a suicide bombing in Karachi, Pakistan, where Shia Muslims are observing the Day of Ashura.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Ashura_bombings_in_Iraq
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_Ashura
2010 Arab Spring: Popular protests begin in Algeria against the government. A continuing series of protests throughout the country started on 28 December 2010, inspired by similar protests across the Middle East and North Africa. On 24 February 2011, the government lifted Algeria's 19-year-old state of emergency.[64] The government enacted legislation dealing with political parties, the electoral code, and the representation of women in elected bodies. In April 2011, Bouteflika promised further constitutional and political reform. However, elections are routinely criticized by opposition groups as unfair and international human rights groups say that media censorship and harassment of political opponents continue.
Births
America the Beautiful - Lyrics for all verses - Lauren Richardson & Aubrey Youngman - Edgerton
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pC41-_q1xA
1847 Samuel A. Ward, American music publisher, in Newark, New Jersey. He is remembered for his hymn tune "Materna" (1882). Ward had originally written "Materna" for the hymn "O Mother dear, Jerusalem" in 1882, though it was not first published until 1892. Ward's music combined with the Bates poem was first published in 1910 and titled "America the Beautiful", with words by Katharine Lee Bates. However, Ward never met Bates. (d. 28 September 1903 at Newark).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_A._Ward
1856 Woodrow Wilson, American politician, 28th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1924)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson
1866 John M. P. Smith, American Baptist Bible scholar, in London, England (d. 1932).
cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=S&word=SMITH.JOHNMERLINPOWIS
1890 Quincy Wright, American political scientist (d. 1970)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Wright
1895 Carol Ryrie Brink, American author (d. 1981)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Ryrie_Brink
1902 Mortimer J. Adler, American philosopher and author (d. 2001)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortimer_J._Adler
Hines (left) performs for Pte Charles Carpenter, songwriter and manager of the Hines Orchestra, at Camp Lee, during World War II
1903 Earl Hines, American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one major source, is "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz". (d. 1983)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Hines
1903 John von Neumann, Hungarian-American pure and applied mathematician, physicist, inventor, and polymath. He made major contributions to a number of fields, including mathematics (foundations of mathematics, functional analysis, ergodic theory, geometry, topology, and numerical analysis), physics (quantum mechanics, hydrodynamics, fluid dynamics and quantum statistical mechanics), economics (game theory), computing (Von Neumann architecture, linear programming, self-replicating machines, stochastic computing), and statistics. He was a pioneer of the application of operator theory to quantum mechanics, in the development of functional analysis, a principal member of the Manhattan Project and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (as one of the few originally appointed), and a key figure in the development of game theory and the concepts of cellular automata, the universal constructor, and the digital computer. (d. 1957)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann
1905 Cliff Arquette, American actor and comedian, famous for his TV role as “Charley Weaver.” (d. 1974)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Arquette
1908 Lew Ayres, American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and for playing Dr. Kildare in nine movies. (d. 1996)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Ayres
Billy Williams 'I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter' 78 rpm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxhT8T44bt8
1910 Billy Williams, African-American singer. He had a successful cover recording of Fats Waller's "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" in 1957. The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. His trademark hook for his songs was to shout "Oh, Yeah" at the end of lyrics.(The Charioteers) (d. 1972)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Williams_(singer)
1915 Pops Staples, American singer (The Staple Singers) (d. 2000)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pops_Staples
1919 Emily Cheney Neville, American author (d. 1997)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Cheney_Neville
1920 Bruce McCarty, American architect, designed the Knoxville City-County Building (d. 2013)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_McCarty
1920 Steve Van Buren, American professional football halfback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) from 1944–1951, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.(d. 2012)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Van_Buren
Johnny Otis - Willie and the Hand Jive (1958)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kIswurDJt4
1921 Johnny Otis, American singer, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, record producer, television show host, artist, author, journalist, minister, and impresario. A seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll, Otis discovered artists such as Little Esther, Big Mama Thornton, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John and Hank Ballard and Etta James. Known as the original "King of Rock & Roll", he is commonly referred to as the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues". (d. 2012)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Otis
1922 Stan Lee, American writer, publisher, producer, and actor
1926 Donna Hightower, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
1931 Martin Milner, American actor
1932 Dorsey Burnette, American singer-songwriter (The Rock and Roll Trio) (d. 1979)
1932 Nichelle Nichols, American actress and singer
1933 John Y. Brown, Jr., American politician, 55th Governor of Kentucky
1936 Lawrence Schiller, American journalist
1938 Dick Sudhalter, American trumpet player (d. 2008)
1939 Philip Anschutz, American businessman, founded Anschutz Entertainment Group
1939 Michelle Urry, American journalist (d. 2006)
1940 Don Francisco[/b, Chilean-American television host
1943 Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Cardinal Priest and Archbishop of Lima in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a member of the prominent conservative Peruvian Thorne family, and one of two cardinals who are members of Opus Dei, the other being Julián Herranz Casado.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Luis_Cipriani_Thorne
1944 Johnny Isakson, American politician
1944 Kary Mullis, Americsn biochemist, author, and lecturer. In recognition of his improvement of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, he shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Michael Smith and earned the Japan Prize in the same year. The process was first described by Kjell Kleppe and 1968 Nobel laureate H. Gobind Khorana, and allows the amplification of specific DNA sequences. The improvements made by Mullis allowed PCR to become a central technique in biochemistry and molecular biology, described by The New York Times as "highly original and significant, virtually dividing biology into the two epochs of before P.C.R. and after P.C.R."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kary_Mullis
1946 Mike Beebe, American politician, 45th Governor of Arkansas
1946 Tim Johnson, American politician
1946 Edgar Winter, American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer (Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band)
1947 Aurelio Rodríguez, Mexican baseball player (d. 2000)
1948 Mary Weiss, American singer (The Shangri-Las)
1949 Barbara De Fina, American film producer
1950 Alex Chilton, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (The Box Tops and Big Star) (d. 2010)
1950 Rainer Maria Latzke, German-American painter
1950 Hugh McDonald, American bass player (Bon Jovi)
1953 Charlie Pierce, American journalist and author
1954 Gayle King, American journalist
1954 Denzel Washington, American actor, director, and producer
1958 Twila Paris, American singer-songwriter and pianist
1960 Robert F. Chew, American actor (d. 2013)
1960 Melvin Turpin, American basketball player (d. 2010)
1962 Melissa R. Kelly, American politician
1962 Michel Petrucciani, French-American pianist (d. 1999)
1967 Chris Ware, American illustrator
1969 Linus Torvalds, Finnish-American computer programmer, developed Linux kernel
1970 Elaine Hendrix, American actress, singer, and producer
1971 Benny Agbayani, American baseball player
1971 William Gates, American basketball player
1971 Frank Sepe, American bodybuilder, model, and author
1972 Adam Vinatieri, American football player
1973 Seth Meyers, American actor
1974 Markus Weinzierl, German footballer1975 – B. J. Ryan, American baseball player
1976 Joe Manganiello, American actor
1977 Vanessa Ferlito, American actress
1979 James Blake, American tennis player
1979 Bill Hall, American baseball player
1981 Elizabeth Jordan Carr, American journalist
1982 Cedric Benson, American football player
1982 Kevin Pereira, American television host
1985 Kamani Hill, American footballer
1985 Taryn Terrell, American wrestler and actress
1987 Thomas Dekker, American actor, singer, and producer
1989 Mackenzie Rosman, American actress
1990 David Archuleta, American singer-songwriter and actor
\
2001 Madison De La Garza, American actress
2002 Kelsey Smith-Briggs, American child abuse victim (d. 2005)
Deaths
1446 Antipope Clement VIII (b. 1369)
1524 Johann von Staupitz, German monastic educator and Martin Luther’s friend, If it had not been for Dr. Staupitz, I should have sunk in hell," said Martin Luther.
Johann von Staupitz was the vicar of the Augustinian order at the University of Wittenberg when Luther responded to an invitation by Frederick the Wise by coming there to teach. At the time Luther was struggling with the need to confess completely everything he had ever done wrong. He wore Johann von Staupitz out, trying to remember every sin that his mind would try to cover up. On at least one occasion, he confessed for six hours straight.
Johann tried to explain God's grace to Luther. Surrender to the love of God, he counseled. Luther should lose himself in God, he said. He was making religion too difficult. All he needed to do was love God.
But Luther was tormented by fears and doubts. "I was myself more than once driven to the very abyss of despair so that I wished I had never been created. Love God? I hated him!"
"I don't understand it!" replied the longsuffering Johann when Luther reported this latest line of reasoning to him. He reminded Luther that Christ died to remit our sins. However, Luther was so afraid of Christ, the judge, that he could not turn to him for relief.
In a daring move, Johann resigned as Bible teacher and appointed Luther in his place. Now Luther had to study the Bible for himself and counsel others from it. Luther had not dealt much with the Bible; the theology courses he attended emphasized writings other than the scriptures. Lecturing on Romans and Galatians, Luther arrived at his world-changing insights on faith.
In the end, Luther broke with the Roman confessional system which had been of no help to him. He renounced penances and indulgences. The teachings of the Bible became his guides in place of church fathers, confessors, or popes.
Johann never left the Roman Church. However, he remained friendly toward Luther. He was present when Cajetan ordered Luther to recant. Shortly afterward, he released Luther from his Augustinian vows. Still, he wrote words of encouragement to Luther. "The world hates the truth. By such hate Christ was crucified, and what there is in store for you today if not the cross I do not know."
At one point, Johann relayed Luther's position to Rome for the reformer. Pressure was put on Johann to shut Luther up. Johann resigned rather than attempt it. Rome ordered him to recant. He hesitated. He had never taught the things he was told to abjure (renounce). In the end, he accepted the pope as his judge.
In his last letter to Luther, Johann told him he still loved him dearly. But he implored him to remember the weak. "Do not denounce points of indifference which can be held in sincerity," he advised, adding, "We owe much to you, Martin."
Johann died at Salzburg on this day, December 28, 1524. He had written books on predestination, faith and love. Pope Paul IV placed these on the Index of Prohibited Books in 1559. (b. 1460).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_von_Staupitz
www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/johann-von-staupitz-luthers-confessor-11629932.html
1568 Duke Christoph of Wuerttemberg, Lutheran who worked for the unity of Reformed and Lutherans theologians, (b. 1515).
cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=C&word=CHRISTOPH
1622 Francis de Sales, French bishop and saint (b. 1567)
1694 Mary II of England (b. 1662)
1872 James Van Ness, American politician, 7th Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1808)
Catholic chaplains of the Irish Brigade, 1862. Fr. Corby is in the front row, right.
1897 William Corby, American priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and a Union Army chaplain in the American Civil War attached to the Irish Brigade. He later served twice as President of the University of Notre Dame.(b. 1833)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Corby
1928 John Gritenas, Lithuanian-American clergyman (b. 1863)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gritenas
1935 Clarence Day, American author (b. 1874)
1943 Steve Evans, American baseball player (b. 1885)
1945 Theodore Dreiser, American author (b. 1871)
1956 Louis Handley, Italian-American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1874)
1962 Kathleen Clifford, American actress (b. 1887)
1967 Katharine McCormick, American biologist and philanthropist (b. 1875)
1971 Max Steiner, Austrian-American composer (b. 1888)
1976 Katharine Byron, American politician (b. 1903)
1976 Freddie King, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_King
1977 Karen Grech, Maltese terrorism victim (b. 1962)
1981 Allan Dwan, Canadian-American director, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1885)
1983 William Demarest, American actor (b. 1892)
1983 Jimmy Demaret, American golfer (b. 1910)
1983 Dennis Wilson, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (The Beach Boys) (b. 1944)
1984 Sam Peckinpah, American director (b. 1925)
1986 John D. MacDonald, American author (b. 1916)
1992 Sal Maglie, American baseball player (b. 1917)
1993 Howard Caine, American actor (b. 1926)
1993 William L. Shirer, American journalist (b. 1904)
1999 Clayton Moore, American actor (b. 1914)
2001 Samuel Abraham Goldblith, American soldier and scientist (b. 1919)
2001 William X. Kienzle, American author (b. 1928)
2003 Benjamin Thurman Hacker, American admiral (b. 1935)
2004 Jerry Orbach, American actor (b. 1935)
2004 Susan Sontag, American author (b. 1933)
\
2008 Irene Lieblich, Polish-American painter and Holocaust survivor (b. 1923)
2009 The Rev, American singer-songwriter and drummer (Avenged Sevenfold, Pinkly Smooth, and Suburban Legends) (b. 1981)
2010 Billy Taylor, American pianist and composer (b. 1921)
2011 Jon Roberts, American drug trafficker (b. 1948)
2012 Lord Avie, American race horse (b. 1978)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Avie
2012 Martin G. Barnes, American politician (b. 1948)
2012 Richard Lee Beasley, American politician (b. 1930)
2012 Steve Bryles, American politician (b. 1957)
2012 Jayne Cortez, American poet (b. 1934)
2012 Mark Crispin, American computer scientist, designed the IMAP (b. 1956)
2012 Frank Henderson, American politician (b. 1928)
2012 Claude-Anne Lopez, Belgian-American author and scholar (b. 1920)
2012 Burdette Solum, American politician (b. 1927)
2013 Halton Arp, American-German astronomer and critic (b. 1927)
2013 Doe B, American rapper (b. 1991)
2013 Harry C. Goode Jr., American soldier and politician, 51st Mayor of Melbourne, Florida (b. 1938)
2013 Sheila Guyse, American actress and singer (b. 1925)
2013 Andrew Jacobs Jr., American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1932)
2013 Alfred Marshall, American businessman, founded Marshalls (b. 1919)
2013 Joseph Ruskin, American actor (b. 1924)
2014 Leelah Alcorn, American suicide victim (b. 1997)
2014 Frankie Randall, American singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer (b. 1938)
2014 Merrill Womach, American singer and organist (b. 1927)
Holidays and observances
Christian Feast Day:
Abel (Coptic Church)
Caterina Volpicelli
Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas. In Spain and Latin American countries the festival is celebrated with pranks (inocentadas), similar to April Fools' Day. (Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church)
December 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Feasts
Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ.
Saints
Apostle Nicanor the Deacon, one of the Seven Deacons, and one of the Seventy (34)
Martyr Secundus, an Enlightener of Spain, sent by the Apostles to Spain to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1st century)
The 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia (302), including:
Hieromartyr Glycerius, priest;
Deacons Theophilus and Migdonius;
Martyrs Zeno, Dorotheus, Mardonius, Indes, Gorgonius, Peter, and Euthymius;
Virgin-martyrs Agape, Domna (the former pagan priestess), Theophila, and others.
Martyr Ploutodoros.
Venerable Babylas of Tarsus in Cilicia.
Venerable Stephen the Wonderworker.
Pre-Schism Western Saints
Martyrs Castor, Victor and Rogatian, in North Africa.
Saint Domnio (Domnion), a righteous priest in Rome.
Saint Romulus and Conindrus, two of the first people to preach Orthodoxy on the Isle of Man, they were contemporaries of St Patrick (c. 450
Saint Maughold (Maccaldus), a former brigand in Ireland, was converted by St Patrick and sent to the Isle of Man, where his episcopate was very fruitful (c. 488)
Saint Antony of Lérins (Anthony the Hermit), renowned for miracles (c. 520)
Post-Schism Orthodox Saints
Saint Simon the Myrrh-gusher, founder of Simonopetra, Mt. Athos (1287)
Saint Ignatius, Monk, of Loma (Vologda) (Ignatii of Lomsk and Yaroslavsk) (1591)
Saint Cornelius, monk of Krypetsk Monastery (Pskov) (1903)
Hieromonk St Pakhomij (Petin – 1985)
New Martyrs and Confessors
New Hieromartyr Nikodim (Kononov), Bishop of Belgorod, at Solovki (1918)
New Hieromartyr Arcadius Reshetnikov, Deacon (1918)
New Hieromartyr Alexander, Priest (1920)
New Hieromartyrs Theoctistus, and Leonid, Priests (1937)
New Hieromartyr Aretha, Priest (1938)
Other Commemorations
Repose of Joseph the Hesychast (Romania) (1828)
The fourth day of Christmas. (Western Christianity)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_28
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_28_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics)
www.lutheranhistory.org/history/tih1228.htm
www.scopesys.com/cgi-bin/today2.cgi
www.christianity.com/church/church-history/
There are three days remaining until the end of the year.
Days until coming elections:
www.daysuntil.com/Election-Day/index.html
U.S. Debt Clock: www.usdebtclock.org/
Coin of Emperor Majorian
457 Majorian is crowned emperor of the Western Roman Empire and recognized by Pope Leo I.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majorian
484 Alaric II succeeds his father Euric and becomes king of the Visigoths. He establishes his capital at Aire-sur-l'Adour (Southern Gaul).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaric_II
893 An earthquake destroys the city of Dvin, Armenia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/893_Dvin_earthquake
St Peter's Abbey at the time of Edward's funeral, depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry
1065 Westminster Abbey is consecrated. Westminster Abbey is the religious center for Britain's royalty. From William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II, all but one of Britain's kings and queens was crowned there. Westminster savors of history. It was founded by the last of the Saxon kings.
Even in Legend, the abbey has been important. Sir Thomas Mallory placed Guenivere and Arthur at the abbey in one of his tales of the Round Table. Old tales say King Ebert of the East Saxons built a church there in the seventh century and that Mellitus the first bishop of London oversaw it, but the evidence for this is weak.
Our historical knowledge firms up in the time of the tenth-century St. Dunstan, who founded (or took over) a monastery on the isle. A century later, Edward the Confessor, last of the Saxon kings to hold the English throne, constructed a great church on the spot. The story is a curious one.
Son of King Ethelred the Unready, Edward spent his youth in exile in Normandy, owing to struggles between the Danes and Saxons for the English throne. Edward is said to have vowed to make a pilgrimage to Rome if restored to his native land and its throne. When the restoration came about in 1041, through the help of Godwin, Earl of Kent, he realized the impracticality of his vow and asked the pope to absolve him of it. Leo IX released him on condition he build an abbey in honor of St. Peter. Edward selected the isle of Thanet as the spot and built himself a palace nearby so that he could watch the work in progress.
The choir and transepts of Edward's famous chapel were dedicated on this day, December 28, 1065. Edward could not attend the ceremony. Desperately ill, he died nine days later. A century after the dedication of Westminster Abbey, Edward was canonized (for political reasons) and his remains translated to the church.
Edward left the English succession in doubt. Harold, son of Godwin, claimed that Edward made the nation over to him on his deathbed. But William, Duke of Normandy, said Edward had left the kingdom to him in his will. William won the contest by conquest.
On Christmas Day, 1066, William was crowned in the chapel that Edward built. Shouts of acclamation rang out, and soldiers, posted outside, thought their Duke was in danger. As a diversion, they set fire to neighboring buildings. The ceremony was hurriedly completed and the audience rushed outside.
Present day Westminster abbey is not the same building that Edward erected. Henry III tore that down and rebuilt it. Edward's remains were placed in this new building. The famous of England have been interred there ever since.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey#1042:_Edward_the_Confessor_starts_rebuilding_St._Peter.27s_Abbey
www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/901-1200/englands-famous-abbey-dedicated-11629785.html
1612 Galileo Galilei becomes the first astronomer to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly catalogued it as a fixed star.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei
1735 “Hark the Glad Sound” was written by Philip Doddridge (1702-1751) to accompany his Christmas sermon delivered on this date.
www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/g/l/hgladsou.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Doddridge
George Whitefield's grave in the crypt of Old South Presbyterian Church, Newburyport, Massachusetts between Jonathan Parsons and Joseph Prince.
1741 English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'Redeem your precious time: pick up the fragments of it, that not one moment of it may be lost. Be much in secret prayer. Converse less with man, and more with God.'
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Whitefield
1795 Construction of Yonge Street, formerly recognized as the longest street in the world, begins in York, Upper Canada (present-day Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonge_Street
1832 John C. Calhoun becomes the first Vice President of the United States to resign.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Calhoun#U.S._Senator
1832 In Missouri, St. Louis Academy (founded in 1818) was chartered as St. Louis University. It was the first Catholic university established in the U.S. west of the Allegheny Mountains.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_University
1835 Osceola leads his Seminole warriors in Florida into the Second Seminole War against the United States Army.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osceola
1836 Spain recognizes the independence of Mexico.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico#Birth_of_the_country
1838 Greensborough Female College was chartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, under the Methodists. In 1913 the name of the school was changed to Greensboro College for Women and was changed again in 1920 to Greensboro College.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_College
1846 Iowa is admitted as the 29th U.S. state.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa#U.S._settlement_and_statehood.2C_1832.E2.80.931860
1864 The Addison, Illinois, teachers seminary of the Missouri Synod was dedicated. The college later moved to River Forest, Illinois.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concordia_University_Chicago#History
Midway Atoll is located at 28°12′N 177°21′WCoordinates: 28°12′N 177°21′W
1867 United States claims Midway Atoll, the first territory annexed outside Continental limits.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Atoll
1879 Tay Bridge disaster: The central part of the Tay Rail Bridge in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom collapses as a train passes over it, killing 75.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_Bridge_disaster
Auguste and Louis Lumière
1895 The Lumière brothers perform for their first paying audience at the Grand Cafe in Boulevard des Capucines, marking the debut of the cinema.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_and_Louis_Lumi%C3%A8re
1895 Wilhelm Röntgen publishes a paper detailing his discovery of a new type of radiation, which later will be known as x-rays.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_R%C3%B6ntgen
1902 The Syracuse Athletic Club defeated the New York Philadelphians, 5-0, in the first indoor professional football game, which was held at Madison Square Garden.
An image of the 1908 Messina earthquake aftermath.
1908 A magnitude 7.2 earthquake rocks Messina, Sicily, Italy killing over 75,000.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messina,_Sicily#History
A cable car ascending Hyde St, with Alcatraz on the bay behind
1912 The first municipally owned streetcars take to the streets in San Francisco, California.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco#Public_transportation
1918 Constance Markievicz while detained in Holloway prison, became the first woman to be elected MP to the British House of Commons.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_Markievicz
Large public New Year trees are common in Moscow, Russia
1935 Pravda publishes a letter by Pavel Postyshev, who revives New Year tree tradition in the Soviet Union.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year_tree#History_of_the_Russian_New_Year_tree
Heydrich's Mercedes 320 Convertible B after the attack, showing the tank grenade damage
1941 World War II: Operation Anthropoid, the plot to assassinate high-ranking Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich, commences.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Anthropoid
Canadian Armour Passing Through Ortona, by Charles Comfort. Canadian War Museum (CN 12245).
1943 World War II: After eight days of brutal house-to-house fighting, the Battle of Ortona concludes with the victory of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division over the German 1st Parachute Division and the capture of the Italian town of Ortona.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ortona
1944 The Society for the Promotion of Mohammedan Missions was organized.
cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=s&word=SOCIETYFORTHEPROMOTIONOFMOHAMMEDANMISSIONS.THE
1944 Maurice Richard becomes the first player to score 8 points in one game of NHL ice hockey.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Richard
One version of the Bermuda Triangle area
1948 The DC-3 airliner NC16002 disappears 50 miles south of Miami, Florida.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_Triangle#Douglas_DC-3
1958 "Greatest Game Ever Played" – Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants in the first ever National Football League sudden death overtime game at New York's Yankee Stadium.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_NFL_Championship_Game
1972 Kim Il-sung, already Prime Minister of North Korea and First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, becomes the first President of North Korea.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Il-sung
1973 The Endangered Species Act is passed in the United States.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species
A United Airlines Douglas DC-8 similar to the once involved in the crash.
1978 With the crew investigating a problem with the landing gear, United Airlines Flight 173 runs out of fuel and crashes in Portland, Oregon, killing 10. As a result, United Airlines instituted the industry's first crew resource management program.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_173
1991 Ted Turner is named Time Magazine Man of the Year
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Turner
1993 Dow-Jones hits record 3793.49
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow_Jones_Industrial_Average
2000 U.S. retail giant Montgomery Ward announces it is going out of business after 128 years.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Ward
2008 War in Somalia: The militaries of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government and Ethiopian troops capture Mogadishu unopposed.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Somalia_(2006%E2%80%9309)
2009 43 people die in a suicide bombing in Karachi, Pakistan, where Shia Muslims are observing the Day of Ashura.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Ashura_bombings_in_Iraq
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_Ashura
2010 Arab Spring: Popular protests begin in Algeria against the government. A continuing series of protests throughout the country started on 28 December 2010, inspired by similar protests across the Middle East and North Africa. On 24 February 2011, the government lifted Algeria's 19-year-old state of emergency.[64] The government enacted legislation dealing with political parties, the electoral code, and the representation of women in elected bodies. In April 2011, Bouteflika promised further constitutional and political reform. However, elections are routinely criticized by opposition groups as unfair and international human rights groups say that media censorship and harassment of political opponents continue.
Births
America the Beautiful - Lyrics for all verses - Lauren Richardson & Aubrey Youngman - Edgerton
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pC41-_q1xA
1847 Samuel A. Ward, American music publisher, in Newark, New Jersey. He is remembered for his hymn tune "Materna" (1882). Ward had originally written "Materna" for the hymn "O Mother dear, Jerusalem" in 1882, though it was not first published until 1892. Ward's music combined with the Bates poem was first published in 1910 and titled "America the Beautiful", with words by Katharine Lee Bates. However, Ward never met Bates. (d. 28 September 1903 at Newark).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_A._Ward
1856 Woodrow Wilson, American politician, 28th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1924)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson
1866 John M. P. Smith, American Baptist Bible scholar, in London, England (d. 1932).
cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=S&word=SMITH.JOHNMERLINPOWIS
1890 Quincy Wright, American political scientist (d. 1970)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Wright
1895 Carol Ryrie Brink, American author (d. 1981)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Ryrie_Brink
1902 Mortimer J. Adler, American philosopher and author (d. 2001)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortimer_J._Adler
Hines (left) performs for Pte Charles Carpenter, songwriter and manager of the Hines Orchestra, at Camp Lee, during World War II
1903 Earl Hines, American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one major source, is "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz". (d. 1983)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Hines
1903 John von Neumann, Hungarian-American pure and applied mathematician, physicist, inventor, and polymath. He made major contributions to a number of fields, including mathematics (foundations of mathematics, functional analysis, ergodic theory, geometry, topology, and numerical analysis), physics (quantum mechanics, hydrodynamics, fluid dynamics and quantum statistical mechanics), economics (game theory), computing (Von Neumann architecture, linear programming, self-replicating machines, stochastic computing), and statistics. He was a pioneer of the application of operator theory to quantum mechanics, in the development of functional analysis, a principal member of the Manhattan Project and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (as one of the few originally appointed), and a key figure in the development of game theory and the concepts of cellular automata, the universal constructor, and the digital computer. (d. 1957)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann
1905 Cliff Arquette, American actor and comedian, famous for his TV role as “Charley Weaver.” (d. 1974)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Arquette
1908 Lew Ayres, American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and for playing Dr. Kildare in nine movies. (d. 1996)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Ayres
Billy Williams 'I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter' 78 rpm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxhT8T44bt8
1910 Billy Williams, African-American singer. He had a successful cover recording of Fats Waller's "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" in 1957. The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. His trademark hook for his songs was to shout "Oh, Yeah" at the end of lyrics.(The Charioteers) (d. 1972)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Williams_(singer)
1915 Pops Staples, American singer (The Staple Singers) (d. 2000)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pops_Staples
1919 Emily Cheney Neville, American author (d. 1997)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Cheney_Neville
1920 Bruce McCarty, American architect, designed the Knoxville City-County Building (d. 2013)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_McCarty
1920 Steve Van Buren, American professional football halfback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) from 1944–1951, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.(d. 2012)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Van_Buren
Johnny Otis - Willie and the Hand Jive (1958)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kIswurDJt4
1921 Johnny Otis, American singer, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, record producer, television show host, artist, author, journalist, minister, and impresario. A seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll, Otis discovered artists such as Little Esther, Big Mama Thornton, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John and Hank Ballard and Etta James. Known as the original "King of Rock & Roll", he is commonly referred to as the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues". (d. 2012)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Otis
1922 Stan Lee, American writer, publisher, producer, and actor
1926 Donna Hightower, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
1931 Martin Milner, American actor
1932 Dorsey Burnette, American singer-songwriter (The Rock and Roll Trio) (d. 1979)
1932 Nichelle Nichols, American actress and singer
1933 John Y. Brown, Jr., American politician, 55th Governor of Kentucky
1936 Lawrence Schiller, American journalist
1938 Dick Sudhalter, American trumpet player (d. 2008)
1939 Philip Anschutz, American businessman, founded Anschutz Entertainment Group
1939 Michelle Urry, American journalist (d. 2006)
1940 Don Francisco[/b, Chilean-American television host
1943 Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Cardinal Priest and Archbishop of Lima in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a member of the prominent conservative Peruvian Thorne family, and one of two cardinals who are members of Opus Dei, the other being Julián Herranz Casado.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Luis_Cipriani_Thorne
1944 Johnny Isakson, American politician
1944 Kary Mullis, Americsn biochemist, author, and lecturer. In recognition of his improvement of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, he shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Michael Smith and earned the Japan Prize in the same year. The process was first described by Kjell Kleppe and 1968 Nobel laureate H. Gobind Khorana, and allows the amplification of specific DNA sequences. The improvements made by Mullis allowed PCR to become a central technique in biochemistry and molecular biology, described by The New York Times as "highly original and significant, virtually dividing biology into the two epochs of before P.C.R. and after P.C.R."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kary_Mullis
1946 Mike Beebe, American politician, 45th Governor of Arkansas
1946 Tim Johnson, American politician
1946 Edgar Winter, American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer (Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band)
1947 Aurelio Rodríguez, Mexican baseball player (d. 2000)
1948 Mary Weiss, American singer (The Shangri-Las)
1949 Barbara De Fina, American film producer
1950 Alex Chilton, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (The Box Tops and Big Star) (d. 2010)
1950 Rainer Maria Latzke, German-American painter
1950 Hugh McDonald, American bass player (Bon Jovi)
1953 Charlie Pierce, American journalist and author
1954 Gayle King, American journalist
1954 Denzel Washington, American actor, director, and producer
1958 Twila Paris, American singer-songwriter and pianist
1960 Robert F. Chew, American actor (d. 2013)
1960 Melvin Turpin, American basketball player (d. 2010)
1962 Melissa R. Kelly, American politician
1962 Michel Petrucciani, French-American pianist (d. 1999)
1967 Chris Ware, American illustrator
1969 Linus Torvalds, Finnish-American computer programmer, developed Linux kernel
1970 Elaine Hendrix, American actress, singer, and producer
1971 Benny Agbayani, American baseball player
1971 William Gates, American basketball player
1971 Frank Sepe, American bodybuilder, model, and author
1972 Adam Vinatieri, American football player
1973 Seth Meyers, American actor
1974 Markus Weinzierl, German footballer1975 – B. J. Ryan, American baseball player
1976 Joe Manganiello, American actor
1977 Vanessa Ferlito, American actress
1979 James Blake, American tennis player
1979 Bill Hall, American baseball player
1981 Elizabeth Jordan Carr, American journalist
1982 Cedric Benson, American football player
1982 Kevin Pereira, American television host
1985 Kamani Hill, American footballer
1985 Taryn Terrell, American wrestler and actress
1987 Thomas Dekker, American actor, singer, and producer
1989 Mackenzie Rosman, American actress
1990 David Archuleta, American singer-songwriter and actor
\
2001 Madison De La Garza, American actress
2002 Kelsey Smith-Briggs, American child abuse victim (d. 2005)
Deaths
1446 Antipope Clement VIII (b. 1369)
1524 Johann von Staupitz, German monastic educator and Martin Luther’s friend, If it had not been for Dr. Staupitz, I should have sunk in hell," said Martin Luther.
Johann von Staupitz was the vicar of the Augustinian order at the University of Wittenberg when Luther responded to an invitation by Frederick the Wise by coming there to teach. At the time Luther was struggling with the need to confess completely everything he had ever done wrong. He wore Johann von Staupitz out, trying to remember every sin that his mind would try to cover up. On at least one occasion, he confessed for six hours straight.
Johann tried to explain God's grace to Luther. Surrender to the love of God, he counseled. Luther should lose himself in God, he said. He was making religion too difficult. All he needed to do was love God.
But Luther was tormented by fears and doubts. "I was myself more than once driven to the very abyss of despair so that I wished I had never been created. Love God? I hated him!"
"I don't understand it!" replied the longsuffering Johann when Luther reported this latest line of reasoning to him. He reminded Luther that Christ died to remit our sins. However, Luther was so afraid of Christ, the judge, that he could not turn to him for relief.
In a daring move, Johann resigned as Bible teacher and appointed Luther in his place. Now Luther had to study the Bible for himself and counsel others from it. Luther had not dealt much with the Bible; the theology courses he attended emphasized writings other than the scriptures. Lecturing on Romans and Galatians, Luther arrived at his world-changing insights on faith.
In the end, Luther broke with the Roman confessional system which had been of no help to him. He renounced penances and indulgences. The teachings of the Bible became his guides in place of church fathers, confessors, or popes.
Johann never left the Roman Church. However, he remained friendly toward Luther. He was present when Cajetan ordered Luther to recant. Shortly afterward, he released Luther from his Augustinian vows. Still, he wrote words of encouragement to Luther. "The world hates the truth. By such hate Christ was crucified, and what there is in store for you today if not the cross I do not know."
At one point, Johann relayed Luther's position to Rome for the reformer. Pressure was put on Johann to shut Luther up. Johann resigned rather than attempt it. Rome ordered him to recant. He hesitated. He had never taught the things he was told to abjure (renounce). In the end, he accepted the pope as his judge.
In his last letter to Luther, Johann told him he still loved him dearly. But he implored him to remember the weak. "Do not denounce points of indifference which can be held in sincerity," he advised, adding, "We owe much to you, Martin."
Johann died at Salzburg on this day, December 28, 1524. He had written books on predestination, faith and love. Pope Paul IV placed these on the Index of Prohibited Books in 1559. (b. 1460).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_von_Staupitz
www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/johann-von-staupitz-luthers-confessor-11629932.html
1568 Duke Christoph of Wuerttemberg, Lutheran who worked for the unity of Reformed and Lutherans theologians, (b. 1515).
cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=C&word=CHRISTOPH
1622 Francis de Sales, French bishop and saint (b. 1567)
1694 Mary II of England (b. 1662)
1872 James Van Ness, American politician, 7th Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1808)
Catholic chaplains of the Irish Brigade, 1862. Fr. Corby is in the front row, right.
1897 William Corby, American priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and a Union Army chaplain in the American Civil War attached to the Irish Brigade. He later served twice as President of the University of Notre Dame.(b. 1833)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Corby
1928 John Gritenas, Lithuanian-American clergyman (b. 1863)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gritenas
1935 Clarence Day, American author (b. 1874)
1943 Steve Evans, American baseball player (b. 1885)
1945 Theodore Dreiser, American author (b. 1871)
1956 Louis Handley, Italian-American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1874)
1962 Kathleen Clifford, American actress (b. 1887)
1967 Katharine McCormick, American biologist and philanthropist (b. 1875)
1971 Max Steiner, Austrian-American composer (b. 1888)
1976 Katharine Byron, American politician (b. 1903)
1976 Freddie King, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_King
1977 Karen Grech, Maltese terrorism victim (b. 1962)
1981 Allan Dwan, Canadian-American director, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1885)
1983 William Demarest, American actor (b. 1892)
1983 Jimmy Demaret, American golfer (b. 1910)
1983 Dennis Wilson, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (The Beach Boys) (b. 1944)
1984 Sam Peckinpah, American director (b. 1925)
1986 John D. MacDonald, American author (b. 1916)
1992 Sal Maglie, American baseball player (b. 1917)
1993 Howard Caine, American actor (b. 1926)
1993 William L. Shirer, American journalist (b. 1904)
1999 Clayton Moore, American actor (b. 1914)
2001 Samuel Abraham Goldblith, American soldier and scientist (b. 1919)
2001 William X. Kienzle, American author (b. 1928)
2003 Benjamin Thurman Hacker, American admiral (b. 1935)
2004 Jerry Orbach, American actor (b. 1935)
2004 Susan Sontag, American author (b. 1933)
\
2008 Irene Lieblich, Polish-American painter and Holocaust survivor (b. 1923)
2009 The Rev, American singer-songwriter and drummer (Avenged Sevenfold, Pinkly Smooth, and Suburban Legends) (b. 1981)
2010 Billy Taylor, American pianist and composer (b. 1921)
2011 Jon Roberts, American drug trafficker (b. 1948)
2012 Lord Avie, American race horse (b. 1978)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Avie
2012 Martin G. Barnes, American politician (b. 1948)
2012 Richard Lee Beasley, American politician (b. 1930)
2012 Steve Bryles, American politician (b. 1957)
2012 Jayne Cortez, American poet (b. 1934)
2012 Mark Crispin, American computer scientist, designed the IMAP (b. 1956)
2012 Frank Henderson, American politician (b. 1928)
2012 Claude-Anne Lopez, Belgian-American author and scholar (b. 1920)
2012 Burdette Solum, American politician (b. 1927)
2013 Halton Arp, American-German astronomer and critic (b. 1927)
2013 Doe B, American rapper (b. 1991)
2013 Harry C. Goode Jr., American soldier and politician, 51st Mayor of Melbourne, Florida (b. 1938)
2013 Sheila Guyse, American actress and singer (b. 1925)
2013 Andrew Jacobs Jr., American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1932)
2013 Alfred Marshall, American businessman, founded Marshalls (b. 1919)
2013 Joseph Ruskin, American actor (b. 1924)
2014 Leelah Alcorn, American suicide victim (b. 1997)
2014 Frankie Randall, American singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer (b. 1938)
2014 Merrill Womach, American singer and organist (b. 1927)
Holidays and observances
Christian Feast Day:
Abel (Coptic Church)
Caterina Volpicelli
Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas. In Spain and Latin American countries the festival is celebrated with pranks (inocentadas), similar to April Fools' Day. (Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church)
December 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Feasts
Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ.
Saints
Apostle Nicanor the Deacon, one of the Seven Deacons, and one of the Seventy (34)
Martyr Secundus, an Enlightener of Spain, sent by the Apostles to Spain to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1st century)
The 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia (302), including:
Hieromartyr Glycerius, priest;
Deacons Theophilus and Migdonius;
Martyrs Zeno, Dorotheus, Mardonius, Indes, Gorgonius, Peter, and Euthymius;
Virgin-martyrs Agape, Domna (the former pagan priestess), Theophila, and others.
Martyr Ploutodoros.
Venerable Babylas of Tarsus in Cilicia.
Venerable Stephen the Wonderworker.
Pre-Schism Western Saints
Martyrs Castor, Victor and Rogatian, in North Africa.
Saint Domnio (Domnion), a righteous priest in Rome.
Saint Romulus and Conindrus, two of the first people to preach Orthodoxy on the Isle of Man, they were contemporaries of St Patrick (c. 450
Saint Maughold (Maccaldus), a former brigand in Ireland, was converted by St Patrick and sent to the Isle of Man, where his episcopate was very fruitful (c. 488)
Saint Antony of Lérins (Anthony the Hermit), renowned for miracles (c. 520)
Post-Schism Orthodox Saints
Saint Simon the Myrrh-gusher, founder of Simonopetra, Mt. Athos (1287)
Saint Ignatius, Monk, of Loma (Vologda) (Ignatii of Lomsk and Yaroslavsk) (1591)
Saint Cornelius, monk of Krypetsk Monastery (Pskov) (1903)
Hieromonk St Pakhomij (Petin – 1985)
New Martyrs and Confessors
New Hieromartyr Nikodim (Kononov), Bishop of Belgorod, at Solovki (1918)
New Hieromartyr Arcadius Reshetnikov, Deacon (1918)
New Hieromartyr Alexander, Priest (1920)
New Hieromartyrs Theoctistus, and Leonid, Priests (1937)
New Hieromartyr Aretha, Priest (1938)
Other Commemorations
Repose of Joseph the Hesychast (Romania) (1828)
The fourth day of Christmas. (Western Christianity)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_28
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_28_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics)
www.lutheranhistory.org/history/tih1228.htm
www.scopesys.com/cgi-bin/today2.cgi
www.christianity.com/church/church-history/